Games – Anime – Movies – Life

The Last Tinker: City of Colours Review

An action platformer with so much love and care put into its creation, it’s hard not to adore.

The Last Tinker is a game full of imagination and splendour that tells the tale of the last known tinker (clue in the title) as he must save the world from an evil colourless spirit that wants to rid the world of colour. A simple premise, but the game quickly makes it clear that the story is just an excuse to send the player on this wild adventure of fun and delight.

It’s the world building that really sells The Last Tinker. The amount creativity put into the world and level design make running and jumping through them an absolute blast. The areas and their respective colours are brimming with life and character, and all the characters you meet are completely unoriginal yet lovable at the same time. I loved exploring this world of multiple colours and creative characters, but I did have one large issue with it. The lack of interactivity.

The Last Tinker is incredibly narrow and limiting. Often the player will be in large open areas with lots going on (such as a carnival or market) and lots of people bustling about and is allowed to interact with absolutely none of it. Not being allowed to interact with anything makes the world feel more like a museum and not a place where people would actually live. These areas are only there for eye candy, and are there for the player to look at as they walk down the narrow pathway to the next area.

When not admiring the world design, players will find themselves in repetitive combat that involves mashing one attack button repeatedly and occasionally equipping a new colour to do major damage to an enemy. The combat always feels clunky and contrasts with the rest of the games smooth free running mechanics. It feels like the combat was an afterthought that was shoved into the game to make it appeal to a wider market, and the game would have been better off without it.

The Last Tinker: City of Colours is one of the nicest and refreshing games I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year. While it has its flaws with lack of interactivity and horrendous combat, it makes up for it by being a fantastic colourful adventure that oozes enjoyment. If you’re looking for a fun action platformer, or want to get young children into video games, The Last Tinker: City of Colours is a wonderful time for all.